Pet Peeves
by Sabertooth Kitty
Summary: NEW DM 6- While escaping from Danger Mouse, Baron Greenback seems to have forgotten something important... and it looks as if Judas has accidentally taken home the little ball of caterpillar fluff wrapped up in his jacket!


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Pet Peeves

Rated PG for mild violence

I take no credit for any character or setting already belonging to _Cosgrove Hall Films_. However, Judas Franklin and Sabrina Panthera are my characters, and should not be used without my written consent. I also take no credit for the films _Little Shop of Horrors_, _Spaceballs_, and _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ (all **great** movies, by the way).

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Author's Notes: Okay, I admit it- apart from Baron Greenback himself, I think the bad guys of _Danger Mouse_ are pretty darn cool. Ironically, Stiletto is one of my favorite characters… don't ask me why, he just is. O_o

Anyway, the focus of this story is actually on little Nero (**isn't he cute?!**). Have you ever noticed how close Greenback is with his little pet?? The little guy hardly goes anywhere without the Baron! So, I thought I'd take a familiar plot-line and twist it just a smidgen… ~_^ Enjoy!

The Amazon rain forest- a place of peace, harmony, and an abundance of life. Hidden between the tall trees and long, dangling vines was a rather large greenhouse. An odd place to put one, really, especially one filled with massive meat-eating plants!

The intrepid trio fought their way through the mass of vicious, hungry plants. In the lead was Danger Mouse, the world's greatest secret agent; close behind him was his recruit, a dog by the name Judas Franklin; and cowering behind the agent was poor Penfold, his right-hand hamster. Armed with lightweight swords, they managed to escape the feral ferns.

Judas sighed in relief, wiping the beads of sweat from his brow. "Now **that** was scary," he admitted. "Talk about a botany project gone haywire. It kinda reminded me of this one movie, about this guy named Seymour and this little shop-"

"Judas, shush," DM snapped, looking around for a moment. "We're not alone…"

A hoarse chuckle interrupted their thoughts. "So, Danger Mouse," a familiar voice addressed, "do you honestly think you can detour me so easily? I have other ways of dealing with you and your comrades."

Baron Silas Greenback stepped out from the shadows, gently stroking his pet caterpillar Nero. Two taller figures followed- Stiletto, an Italian crow with a past deeply rooted in the Mafia; and Sabrina, an American cat with a considerably harsh mean-streak.

The Baron snapped his fingers. "Stiletto, Sabrina," he addressed, "take care of these three meddlesome agents immediately. Perhaps we should introduce them to our most vicious crop?"

Stiletto laughed as he and Sabrina approached the agent and his confidants. "Si, Barone," he agreed.

At that moment, Danger Mouse took out a small bottle and handed it to Judas behind his back. "Be careful with it," he whispered. "Once we get close enough to these plants, remove the cap and toss it into the garden."

The recruit winked in reply. "Got it, chief," he answered.

Sabrina took hold of Danger Mouse as Stiletto prodded Judas towards the back of the greenhouse. "Don't worry, Judas," she assured. "You'll get a real kick out of this- it's the most vicious meat-eating plant ever bred. In fact, we even named it after a character from a movie you might remember." She whistled sharply and called out, "Seymour! Dinner time!!"

Suddenly, a giant meat-eating plant rose from the ground. It looked like a cross between a Venus Fly-Trap and a Snapdragon, but whatever species it was, one thing was clear: it was **hungry!**

Shocked, Judas stood there for a moment and looked up. "Dang…" he remarked. "Now I know how the Seymour in the movie felt like!"

As the gigantic predatory plant roared in hunger, Judas did the only thing he could do- he tossed the bottle into its mouth. The creature swallowed the bottle and went right back to glaring at Judas. Then, without warning, it stayed suspended over the American pooch and his captor, until finally it collapsed.

It was then that the agent slipped away from Sabrina. "Here, Penfold," he instructed, taking his friend by the hand and leading him to a secluded area of the greenhouse.

Escaping from Stiletto's grasp, Judas rushed over to DM. "That was amazing," he commented. "What was in there??"

The agent laughed as he and his two confidants began to exit the greenhouse. "It was easy," he replied. "The professor lent me a few bottles of his super-potent weed-killing toxin."

Judas stopped for a moment, perplexed. "Hold on," he said, looking around the area. "My jacket! I must have left it in the greenhouse!"

Danger Mouse rolled his eyes. "Alright," he muttered, "but be quick about it! I'm not waiting around all day for a silly jacket!"

While Judas ran back to get his jacket, Penfold cowered in the shadows. "Ooh, crumbs, Chief," he mumbled. "I want to go home!"

"Steady, Penfold," Danger Mouse advised. "Our work here is done- Greenback's vicious man-eating plants have been taken care of, so as soon as Judas returns, we can head home."

Not a moment too soon, Judas trotted back towards the agent and his assistant. "Found it," he answered, rolling up the jacket under his arm. "Strangest thing, though- Greenback and his henchmen are gone. I was looking around for them, but it looks like they left already."

The intrepid trio exited the greenhouse and stepped into the _Mark III_, the agent's choice vehicle. "Of course," he reasoned. "They have no other reason to be here- now that we've accomplished our mission, this greenhouse is worthless to the Baron."

As the three heroes soared into the sky and headed for their home in London, all seemed well for the most part. It was odd, however, that no one seemed to notice that Judas' jacket had been squirming for the entire trip… 

The _Frog's Head Flyer_ hovered high above the Amazon rain forest. Stiletto and Sabrina stood near one of the windows and looked below, their heads hanging in dismay. Every time the Baron came up with a plan, that wretched rodent had always come along and stopped them; this incident was no exception.

At that moment, Greenback stepped out of the shadows and took a good look at his henchmen. "Stiletto, Sabrina," he addressed, "why are you brooding?"

A tad upset, Sabrina turned to face her boss. "Why aren't you?" she questioned, sweeping her hands towards the exotic forest where their base of operation used to be. "Doesn't this look familiar to you?? We've failed- **again!**"

Stiletto nodded in agreement. "Si, Barone," he agreed, "and-a Danger Mouse- he gotted away!"

Strangely enough, the Baron chuckled quietly. "Nonsense," he dismissed. "I have other ways of dealing with that meddling mouse and his little friends."

Sabrina gave her Italian friend a sidelong look. "No wonder he hasn't given up on DM yet," she whispered. "He's so determined, he can't even admit his own failure!"

As Greenback turned away and headed for his office, he couldn't help but notice that something was missing. He looked around for a moment and seated himself at his desk, but he still felt that there was something he had forgotten. Then, noticing the tiny white hairs that had rubbed off on his suit, he soon realized what- or rather, _who_- was missing…

"Nero!" the Terrible Toad cried out, pushing a button on the intercom. "Stiletto, Sabrina- report to me at once!"

Upon hearing the announcement, the crow and the cat sprinted for the Baron's office and headed straight inside. "You called, sir?" Sabrina inquired, gasping for breath.

Greenback stood from his chair. "Nero has gone missing!" he bellowed. "We must return to the greenhouse and find him!"

Before either one of his henchmen could react, the Baron pointed to his right-hand crow. "Stiletto- land the _Frog's Head Flyer_ at once!" he ordered.

With a quick nod, Stiletto turned and headed for the control panels. "Si, Barone!" he said.

Then, Greenback glared at his feline bodyguard. "Sabrina," he addressed, "you and I will search the greenhouse and surrounding areas for Nero once we've landed."

"Yes, sir," Sabrina complied, then cocking her eyebrows in disbelief. "Um, sir, why don't I look for Nero… you know, **alone**?? I'm sure I can handle a little lost caterpillar."

The Baron groaned. "Nero only comes when _I_ call him," he answered. "We have a special bond, Sabrina- you wouldn't understand."

Finally, the _Frog's Head Flyer_ landed on solid ground. "Ai, Barone," Stiletto alerted, "we're-a there!"

The Terrible Toad nodded. "Excellent," he remarked, exiting the craft. "Sabrina, you're coming with me. Stiletto, stay here and search the craft for any sign of Nero." He stepped into the greenhouse and began searching for his lost caterpillar. "Nero! Nero- come to daddy!"

The female feline glanced at her friend. "Has this ever happened before?" she queried. "How long is this going to take??"

Stiletto sighed. "I dunno, Sabrina," he replied uneasily, shrugging. "This-a could take a time… Barone, he's never without-a his pet."

With a heavy sigh, Sabrina followed after the Baron. "I hope this doesn't take long," she mumbled. "If Greenback doesn't find that little runt, we may never get our plans off the ground…"

Meanwhile, back at the Mayfare pillar-box, the intrepid trio stepped inside their fancy little apartment. "I don't know about you two," Judas remarked, stretching out his arms, "but I am _so tired!_"

Penfold yawned. "Me, too," he agreed, sauntering through the hallway. "I'm taking a nap."

Judas nodded. "That's a good idea," he said, following Penfold down the hall. "I could use some sleep myself." He swiftly turned about and looked at DM, adding, "Don't bother waking me up. No offense, but if anyone wakes me up, I might be kind of testy; unless you want to see me at my worst, please don't wake me up."

As Judas walked into his room, he tossed his jacket onto the floor. He groaned as his weary body hit the bedspread. "Sleep," he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Must sleep…"

Suddenly, something writhed within Judas' jacket. A white ball of fuzz poked its head out of one of the sleeves and squeaked irritably. It was Nero! Somehow, the poor little guy got trapped in the jacket and had inadvertently been taken back to Danger Mouse's secret pad!

Upon seeing the sleeping pooch, Nero growled in anger. He squirmed out of the jacket and crawled up onto the bed. Noticing the unusual scent of Judas' cotton shirt, the caterpillar sniffed the shirt collar and began chewing on it.

Tickled by the sensation of Nero's biting teeth, Judas moaned in his sleep. "Mommy…" he slurred, "Mommy, they beat me up and took my lunch…" He turned over in his bed, crushing little Nero!

Needless to say, Nero was none too happy about this situation, but being the clever caterpillar he was, he soon found a way out…

Danger Mouse sat idly in the kitchen, sipping a cup of tea. As far as he was concerned, there was no better way to relax after a stressful mission.

Then, without warning, a cry of alarm interrupted the agent's musings. Shocked, he ran into the parlor and found an extremely frightened Judas. "Quick, dude!" he shouted. "Where's my bat??"

Sighing in relief, DM pointed to a container next to the door. "You left it beside the door to the lift," he replied, cocking his eyebrows. "Why would you need it anyway?"

The recruit ran to the door and picked up the baseball bat. "Thanks, pal!" he commented, sprinting back to his bedroom. "Now, all I have to do is kill the spawn of the demon caterpillar and I can get back to my nap!"

Surprised to hear those peculiar words, the agent followed Judas into his bedroom. Among the heaps of dirty clothes and other assorted junk, a familiar white ball of fuzz cowered in the corner, its fur fluffed in anger and a low mean growl sending chills down their spines.

"Nero!" Danger Mouse shouted, stepping into the bedroom. "How did _you_ get here??"

Judas approached the caterpillar, the baseball bat raised high above his head. "It won't matter in a minute," he remarked, an evil smirk crossing his face. "I'm sending this little guy to meet his maker… the Devil himself!"

Until now, Nero had been quite brave for such a small creature. Then, he suddenly noticed how much bigger Judas was… and how formidable he was carrying a weapon like that! His anger had suddenly turned into fear as he cowered in the shadow of that German Shepherd.

As much as Judas would have liked to think otherwise, he was not immune to Nero's charm. "Don't… don't give me any of that," he warned, his guard falling uneasily. "My baby brother practically invented that… okay, seriously, quit it… stop! You're making it hard for me to kill you!"

Nero gazed up into Judas' eyes. In that single moment, the evil little caterpillar that both Danger Mouse and Judas knew had changed. This fear he had of these relatively new people had humbled him… and perhaps, humbled them too.

Dropping to his knees, Judas dropped the bat. "I… I can't do it," he admitted, falling to the floor. "I can't do it! I can't do it!!"

Perplexed, DM approached Nero and knelt down next to him and Judas. "Perhaps, Judas, it's better that you didn't," he said, glancing at the caterpillar. "At least now, we have something that the Baron wants."

After an awkward pause, Judas turned over and looked up at the agent. "What're you getting at?" he queried.

Danger Mouse gently took Nero in his arms and stood. "Now, listen," he began, scratching behind one of Nero's antennae. "Nero here is Greenback's little pet. We'll hold him here for a day or two before the Baron finally contacts us about getting his precious pet back."

A smirk crossed Judas face as he pivoted himself against the wall. "You know, that's a good idea," he complimented, "but it could do with a little… tweaking."

"Tweaking?" DM inquired as Nero nestled himself in the agent's arms. "What do you mean by that?"

The recruit stood and took Nero from Danger Mouse. "Let's make this a little more interesting," he offered, holding the caterpillar at eye-level. "We'll wait for the Baron alright… we'll wait for him to make the first offer. Chances are he might ask us to just give him back his pet, but if we wait long enough, he's gonna make offers. Who knows? Maybe he'll finally turn himself in if we give back Nero."

Of course, DM was unsure of Judas' logic. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "Judas, have you thought this through at all?"

"I'm a college kid- I never think anything through," Judas remarked. "Besides, if we just give Nero back, that's not gonna help us! We'll put a price on Nero's head- make it look like he really is valuable!"

Now the agent saw what Judas really had in mind. "Are you suggesting that we hold Nero hostage??" he questioned.

Judas turned to Danger Mouse. "You make that sound like a bad thing!" he complained. "It's a fair trade!"

DM cocked his eyebrows. There was no way Judas could make him believe that what they were planning was a 'fair trade'.

Aggravated, the recruit sighed heavily. "Okay, maybe it's not a _fair _trade," he said, "but you've gotta admit- it's a great way to get Greenback out of our lives… **forever!**"

Rolling his eyes in disbelief, the agent approached Judas. "Have you even thought about the consequences??" he queried.

"Trust me," Judas assured coolly. "People are** really **attached to their pets, and it's not just kid's stuff either. I knew this lady in our neighborhood who lost her pet goldfish in a pond while she was having a picnic with her husband. For five years, she's so upset that she's never found her precious goldfish until finally, she discovers him when this kid caught it in his fishing net. She paid the kid $100 for that goldfish; that's a lot of money for a kid!"

Despite this touching story, Danger Mouse remained unconvinced. "Alright, Judas, but tell me this," he requested. "What if the Baron doesn't want Nero back?"

The recruit smiled, staring at little Nero. "Trust me, DM; he will…"

Day had turned into night in the Amazon. The _Frog's Head Flyer_ was still there, in the same place it had landed. For hours now, Greenback had searched the greenhouse and the forest around it, and still no sign of Nero. Everyone feared the worst.

Finally, the Baron approached the _Frog's Head Flyer_, his head hanging in dismay. He slowly strode aboard the craft, stepped into his office, and took his seat. "Stiletto," he said with a tone of disappointment in his voice. "Let us go. There is nothing to be seen here."

With a heavy sigh, the hench-crow pressed a few buttons on the control panel, and in moments the craft was headed home.

Sabrina came up beside Stiletto. "Depressing, isn't it?" she muttered, indicating the Baron's sorrow over the loss of his pet. "I almost feel sorry for the poor guy."

For a moment, neither of them said a word. True, they were never partial to Nero at all, but seeing Greenback this way was still upsetting. Perhaps it was because they had always seen him as a strong leader, but with Nero's disappearance he had become… weak, empty of all feeling.

Turning to her friend, Sabrina led Stiletto out into the hallway. "Look, we need to talk," she advised. "Let's get our minds off this whole Nero business."

Stiletto nodded. "Si, si," he agreed. "It would-a be better for us."

The dark-furred feline smiled. "See, that's why I like you so much," she admitted. "You always cheer me up, even if you're not doing it on purpose."

Flattered, Stiletto let an awkward smile cross his face. "Ai, nobody's ever said-a that already," he remarked, adding a nervous chuckle.

Laughing, Sabrina shook her head. "Maybe it's just me," she commented, looking at him. "I have to tell you, most of my friends growing up were girls like me. Decent guys were hard to come by, and they still are… but I guess that's why we're such good friends."

The Italian henchman was quiet for a moment. It was strange how close they had become in a mere couple of months. He enjoyed her company as much as she did his, and yet nothing seemed to change about their friendship. It was almost as if a closer bond had been formed than either of them had either predicted or realized.

Finally, Sabrina broke the silence. "Oh, I just remembered," she said. "There's something I'd like to show you once we get back to headquarters, Stiletto. I need your opinion on something, since you **are** a guy- no offense."

"Nothing taken," Stiletto assured.

Satisfied, Sabrina stopped him for a moment. "Thanks," she replied as she leaned forward and lightly kissed her friend's cheek. "That's how they do it in Italy, right?"

Though a bit shocked at first, Stiletto nodded in reply. "Si, si," he answered, chuckling lightly.

As Sabrina wandered off into other corridors, the hench-crow stood there alone in the hallway. He thought about what had just happened; yes, it was a popular greeting in many countries (including Italy), but somehow that kiss meant a little more to him. He wondered if, perhaps…

Shaken from his own thoughts, Stiletto turned around and headed back for the control room. It may have been a kiss, but it was a kiss between friends and nothing more. The mere idea was simply absurd…

Later that evening, the heroic trio sat at the kitchen table together. Since Judas' arrival, more food had to be prepared- not simply because he was one more mouth to feed, but he was also a heavy eater. He'd go back for seconds, thirds, or even fourths (depending on the meal served, of course). Since then, the agent often put a limit to the dog's diet.

As the three of them sat together and carried on their conversations, Nero quietly crawled into the kitchen. The smell of food had drawn him there; after all, it had been a while since he'd last eaten. Hoping for a morsel of Judas' food, he scooted up beside the recruit's feet.

Feeling the warm fuzzy caterpillar fur against his leg, Judas stopped eating for a moment and glanced at DM. "Hey, chief," he addressed. "What're we gonna do about Nero?"

Quickly, Penfold covered his ears. "Cor," he mumbled. "Not _this_ again!"

"It's alright, Penfold," Danger Mouse assured, looking back at Judas. "I'm sure there are a few shops still open. I believe the nearest pet supply store is a couple of streets down from here."

Unsure, Judas looked down at Nero, who gazed back up at the pooch with saddened eyes and a soft whine. "I dunno," Judas muttered, glancing back up at the agent. "Are you sure pet stores are open this late? The little guy looks kinda hungry."

"Don't be ridiculous," DM replied, taking another bite of his own meal. "Just pick up a few cans of caterpillar food after you've finished your dinner. There's no harm in it."

Judas sighed, looking back down at Nero. "Sorry, little guy," he whispered. "You'll have to wait a little longer." He sat up and brushed his arm along the table, accidentally knocking his plate to the floor. "Oops."

Irritated, Danger Mouse stood and grabbed Judas by the collar. "Alright, Judas," he commented, dragging the recruit into the parlor. "If you're so worried about Nero's food, go and get it then."

Rolling his eyes, Judas slipped on his jacket and opened the door. "Fine, I'll pick up some caterpillar food," he snapped, holding out his open palm. "Can I have 10 bucks- I mean, _pounds_?"

With a heavy sigh, the agent found a ten-pound note in his pocket and handed it to Judas. "Don't lose it," he advised.

The recruit smirked. "Funny," he remarked. "In America, we're always _trying _to lose our pounds… must be that whole diet craze."

Once Judas had closed the door behind him and left, Danger Mouse returned to the dinner table; he saw Nero licking up what food had been spilled from the recruit's plate. 

Without a word, just a sigh, DM took the plate from the floor and tossed it into the sink. Normally, he would have told Penfold to clean up the mess, but it was all Nero had to eat for the moment. Besides, even if it was a caterpillar eating it, at least the food wasn't going to waste…

Nightfall eventually came to the hidden headquarters of Baron Silas Greenback. Within the most secluded of these offices was that of the Baron himself. He sat alone in that office; alas, he was not contemplating a new scheme to take over the world, or how to get rid of Danger Mouse. All he could think about was Nero- the wonderful little ball of fluff he had raised since the caterpillar was but an egg in the toad's greedy little palms. He had grown up at the Baron's side, and they were hardly apart from each other for long… he never expected the end to come so soon. 

Greenback laid his head on his desk in despair. _Nero,_ he pondered. _Where are you now…_

Elsewhere, Stiletto strode the eerily empty corridors of the complex. After having taken a few hours to think it over, he finally decided that it was best that he come and see what Sabrina wanted to show him. He was a tad nervous, or perhaps anxious; the two seemed to blend so well together that he had long forgotten the difference between the two.

Upon reaching the door to Sabrina's quarters, Stiletto knocked lightly. He heard the water running, so he naturally assumed that she was there. When no reply came, he became suspicious.

Knocking again, this time louder, the hench-crow hoped that Sabrina would answer. Still no reply came.

Concerned, Stiletto reached into his pocket and found a ring of spare keys. He unlocked the door to Sabrina's room and stepped inside. He heard the water running louder this time, but it was coming from the bathroom. Apparently, she was in the middle of a shower, and would probably be out soon anyway.

While he waited for Sabrina, Stiletto thought it best to sit back and make himself comfortable. He sat down on the bed and looked around the room; posters of various country singers and famous rock bands decorated the walls and ceiling of her room. She also had what appeared to be an impressive stereo system- CDs and cassette tapes covered the cases, and videos were placed in stacks on top of and beside the television. All of her clothes were piled up in the closet, though a few articles of clothing laid beside the door to her bathroom.

Stiletto sighed and laid down on the bed. His living arrangement was more organized, only because he spent so little time actually _inside _his quarters- truth be told, he was more at home at his workstation. Many times, however, Sabrina had invited him to spend a little time "at her place", as she put it, but too often he had turned her down, mainly since he was so busy with his other projects. He realized now that maybe he had been too quick to answer; he could get used to this type of environment.

As the running water in the bathroom had stopped flowing, the Italian henchman then remembered why he had questioned coming here in the first place. Was he becoming too attached to Sabrina? She was rather attractive, but honestly, he never really thought about her… at least, not in **that** way. They _were _just friends… right?

At that moment, a familiar figure stepped inside the room. "Ooh, that was _great_," she purred. "That's _just _what I needed."

Surprised, Stiletto sat up and looked at Sabrina. For a minute, he was speechless- her shapely figure was covered only by a large towel wrapped around her chest, waist, and hips. Her eyes grew wide with shock as she pulled the towel closer to her body. "Stiletto!" she shrieked.

Too nervous to think clearly, the hench-crow stood and ran outside. He slammed the door behind him and propped himself against the wall, gasping for breath. Sabrina's entrance had caught him off-guard; he knew that she was in the shower, but he hadn't expected **that!**

Sabrina opened the door slightly. "Stiletto, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't hear you knock; I should have left you a memo or something. Anyway, you can come back in now- I've still got the bathrobe on, so don't worry."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Stiletto strode back inside Sabrina's room. "Sorry about-a that," he said. "I… uh-"

The dark-furred feline laughed a little, stifling her friend. "That's alright," she answered. "It happens, I know."

Though in agreement with her, Stiletto was still unnerved and kept his face downcast in an effort to keep his dignity. "Ai, Sabrina," he addressed, "what-a you mention earlier…"

A tad shocked, Sabrina finally remembered. "Oh, that!" she shouted. "I forgot all about that! Go ahead and make yourself at home; I'll be ready in a minute!"

As Sabrina headed back into the bathroom for something, the Italian henchman seated himself back on the bed. Needless to say, that had to be his first close encounter with the opposite sex. Shocked as they both were, however, there was a part of him that felt quite different- more anxious than nervous, more attracted than afraid.

Again, Stiletto shook himself from his own thoughts. There it was again- the notion that Sabrina was more than a good friend. Perhaps the ambitions of his younger years were finally catching up with him, but something about this fascination seemed… unusual. After all, they were only friends- just because he had seen her in a bathrobe meant nothing… right??

A quick knock alerted the hench-crow. "Stiletto?" Sabrina inquired. "You ready for me?"

Nodding, Stiletto straightened himself- no matter what he really thought of her, he couldn't let her suspect anything. "Si, Sabrina," he replied. "Let-a me look."

The bathroom door opened swiftly, and Sabrina stepped out once more- this time, in a slick black bikini. "You like it?" she asked. "I went back to the beach store and shoplifted another bikini after Nero ruined the first one. Does this make me look sexy or what?"

Wide-eyed with shock, Stiletto said nothing. Instead, he let out a heaved groan and fainted.

Although somewhat concerned, the female feline looked herself over in the mirror. "A knock-out, huh?" she remarked with a smirk. "This one is **definitely** a keeper…" 

**__**

A few days later…

Danger Mouse relaxed in the parlor of the Mayfare pillar-box. The missions kept coming from Colonel K, but they always seemed to involve other villains; in fact, they had returned from an unusual case involving Dr. Crumhorn just hours ago. There had been no word from Baron Greenback, not even through the agency, so naturally, the White Wonder was curious.

A light jingling from another room alerted the agent. He looked up from his reading and glanced around the room. "Penfold?" he queried.

Penfold sauntered into the parlor, carrying a load of dirty laundry. "What's that, sir?" he asked.

With a sigh, DM dismissed the sound and went back to reading the newspaper. "Nothing," he replied. "I thought I heard something."

Suddenly, the jingling noise sounded again. "Oh, that?" Penfold said, shrugging. "It's only Judas- must be playing with the caterpillar again."

Surprised, Danger Mouse looked up again. "Beg pardon?" he inquired.

Before he could answer, a small flying object zipped into the room and hit Penfold, knocking him (and the dirty laundry) to the floor. As the young hamster tried to stand, Nero bounded into the room with Judas close behind. "Sorry!" he apologized. "My fault!"

The agent turned to Judas with a puzzled look on his face. "Judas," he addressed, "what are you doing?"

Nero picked up a fuzzy blue ball in his mouth and scurried over to Judas, who was busy with an explanation. "Nothing, DM," he assured, taking the ball from the caterpillar and gently tossing it into another room. "I found this fuzzy jingling ball at the pet shop while I was getting the little guy some food. Something to keep him occupied, you know?"

"Well, don't get too attached," Danger Mouse advised. "Once Greenback has offered his surrender, Nero goes back to his original owner. Understand?"

Judas rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir," he muttered.

With that, the agent returned to reading the newspaper. _Somehow, this whole Nero situation has me worried,_ he thought. _If the Baron never contacts me, I'll **never** get rid of Nero!_ He glanced over at Judas and Nero, who seemed to be having a good time playing fetch. _Whether Judas agrees to it or not, I may have to return Nero unconditionally…_

Meanwhile, Sabrina sat comfortably in her quarters. She set down a bag of popcorn and looked through her collection of videos. Since Stiletto had taught her the advanced steps to shoplifting, she was finally getting her paws on everything she couldn't afford. She wanted to thank him somehow, helping her adjust to this new lifestyle, but she just couldn't find an appropriate way to say "thank you". 

A smirk crossed Sabrina's face as she found the perfect movie. "_Spaceballs_," she muttered, reading the cover. "Mel Brooks at his finest."

Before the female feline could insert the tape into the player, a knock drew her attention to the door. Curious, she stood and opened the door, only to discover a familiar face outside. "Stiletto?" she inquired.

The Italian henchman shuffled his feet slightly. "Sabrina," he addressed. "I was-a wondering… maybe, that-a movie you mention…"

Sabrina smiled. "Come in," she said, showing her friend inside. "You're just in time. I was about to start a movie anyway."

Looking through his friend's impressive collection of videos, Stiletto found a vaguely familiar movie; he chuckled just looking at the cover.

Intrigued, Sabrina looked over Stiletto's shoulder. "_Monty Python and the Holy Grail_?" she queried. "It's a good movie- one of my favorites."

Stiletto nodded in agreement. "Si, si," he answered. "This-a was the first moving picture I saw in-a English. I sneaked into the theater late at-a night… that-a was the only time I could-a see it, any-road."

At that moment, the female feline was struck with an idea. Taking the video from the hench-crow's hands, she placed it into the VCR and pressed the play button. "Sit down," she advised. "It's your favorite movie and mine.. let's watch it together."

Though unsure of himself, Stiletto sat down on the bed beside Sabrina. For the first time, he and Sabrina were actually doing something non-work related together. This movie was a nice change of pace.

The dark-furred feline turned to Stiletto. "Have you ever heard of Mel Brooks?" she asked. "He's pretty much the American equivalent of Monty Python, and he does a lot more movies. I have many of them right here; maybe we can watch a few sometime?"

The Italian henchman nodded. "Si, si," he agreed. "I would-a like that very much so."

"Cool," Sabrina replied, as the _Holy Grail_ credits began to roll. "I have _Spaceballs_- maybe you'd like to come over tomorrow night and watch it… unless, you're busy or something?"

Hesitant, Stiletto shook his head. "No, no, no!" he shouted. "I come… tomorrow night."

With a heavy sigh, Sabrina leaned forward and watched the entertaining subtitles come up on-screen. "I have to tell you," she confessed, "this whole Nero business is really getting out-of-hand. I haven't seen the Baron so upset since… well, actually, I've never seen him this upset. Still, he hasn't told us to steal, build, or **do** anything. This could really interfere with his whole world domination scheme."

The hench-crow turned to his friend. "Do you think-a maybe that Danger Mouse has a thing-a to do with it?" he inquired.

Unsure, Sabrina shrugged. "I don't know," she remarked. "Maybe… but what would they want with Nero?"

Himself perplexed, Stiletto finally decided that he should stop talking and watch the movie. He had no clue what DM would want with Nero either, but it sounded like a good idea!

Glancing at her friend curiously, Sabrina turned her head. "You know, Stiletto, Greenback isn't the only one here who's acting strange," she hinted. "You've been quiet for a few days… what's up?"

Of course, Stiletto was too nervous to say anything. He thought all they were going to be involved in was a movie!

Concerned, Sabrina paused the movie. "Seriously," she continued, inching a little closer to him, "it looks like you have a lot on your mind, like something's bothering you. Come on- tell me."

Stiletto eased himself away from his friend. "Ai, it's okay," he lied. "I am-a fine- nothing to worry of, Sabrina." 

A sly smirk crossed Sabrina's face. "Now, this is interesting," she muttered. "You're hiding something- I know it!"

Alarmed, Stiletto stood. Maybe tonight wasn't such a good night to come over and see a movie after all!

Before the Italian henchman could reach the door, the female feline had pinned him to the wall. "Come on, you can tell me," she purred. "We're good friends, right? Your secret's safe with me, I promise."

Swallowing hard, Stiletto gently pushed Sabrina off of him. "Is personal," he said. "I am no comfortable sharing with-a anyone."

With a heavy sigh, Sabrina shrugged and sat back down on the bed. "It's okay," she admitted. "If you don't wanna share, I won't make you." She gave him a sidelong look and added, "Of course, if you **do** wanna share sometime, you can always talk to me. We're good friends, after all."

Relieved, Stiletto took a seat beside Sabrina and watched the movie with her. Perhaps he_ was _developing a crush on the American gal, but he wasn't about to let her know that. For now, they were friends and nothing more, despite what others (including himself) might have thought.

As the first few characters appeared onscreen, Stiletto glanced at Sabrina out of the corner of his eye. He had to admit, from the first time he met the dark-furred feline, he knew she was something different. He had few friends, none of them female, so he was naturally quite fond of her.

Sabrina looked back at her Italian friend. "Hey, are you watching the movie or not?" she questioned.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Stiletto nodded. "Si," he answered, watching the first scene quietly…

Days, weeks past. For Danger Mouse, the missions kept on pouring in… but none involving Greenback. He began to doubt Judas' plans, and finally dropped the idea of ever hearing from his arch-nemesis about his beloved pet. Needless to say, the agent was in a tight situation; Nero had grown so close to Judas that they were starting to form a strong friendship. He needed to do something, **fast!**

As this was happening, the Baron had slumped into a state of depression. He knew that it was unlikely Nero was alive, but tried as he might, it was hard for him to actually move on. It was like losing his best friend!

Speaking of friends, Stiletto and Sabrina seemed to be having a good time- with all the extra hours, they found a lot of time to bond with each other. However, more was stirring than one might expect… 

The television screen flickered brightly within Sabrina's quarters. The movie had ended a few minutes ago, but no one bothered to turn it off; Sabrina had fallen asleep on her bed, though Stiletto managed to stay awake. He was more used to the night-shift, unlike his friend.

As Stiletto stood to turn off the television, he glanced back at Sabrina. He realized how lucky he was to have gained her friendship; she had told him many times how antisocial she was, especially with guys. Yet somehow, she trusted him of all people.

With a heavy sigh, Stiletto turned off the television and turned to leave. He had other projects he wanted to work on, even if the Baron hadn't told him to do anything. He hoped that any day now, his boss would realize that it was time to move on and take over the world, so he figured he might as well have a few gadgets ready for him.

At that moment, Sabrina opened her eyes and yawned. "Stiletto," she groaned, "stay here for a minute; we've got to talk."

The Italian henchman turned around and sat beside his friend. "Si?" he inquired.

Yawning deeply, Sabrina sat up on the bed. "This is getting ridiculous," she admitted. "It's been almost a month and the Baron hasn't done anything to get back Nero or take over the world."

Stiletto shrugged. "Sabrina, there is not-a anything we can do," he reasoned. "Barone- he should-a go out of it any day-a now."

Of course, Sabrina remained unconvinced. "What if he _doesn't_?" she questioned. "Come on, we have to get the Baron back to his old self, and the only way we can do that is to get back Nero."

Confused, Stiletto pulled up a chair and sat down. "But-a how?" he asked.

"I don't know," the female feline whined, burying her face in her hands. "That stupid little bug could be anywhere!"

Suddenly, the hench-crow remembered something. He picked up an edition of the weekly newspaper and searched for an article about Danger Mouse and a case involving a stolen aircraft. "Ai, Sabrina," he addressed, showing her a picture from the article. "Look-a here!"

Sabrina arched her head up and looked at the newspaper page. "_Wimbledon Game Canceled due to Rain and a Broken Collarbone_?" she read aloud, glaring at Stiletto. "What the heck does that have to do with Nero??"

Groaning, Stiletto pointed to the picture next to the Wimbledon article. "No, here!" he clarified. "This-a one, with-a Danger Mouse!"

Curious, Sabrina looked closely at the picture. Danger Mouse stood in front of the stolen aircraft, along with Penfold and Judas. Strangely enough, a small fuzzy creature appeared in the pooch's arms- it was Nero!

An evil grin crossed the dark-furred feline's face as she stood and opened the door. "Come on, Stiletto," she muttered. "We have a caterpillar to nap…"

The next day, Judas sat in the parlor of the Mayfare pillar-box, tossing the jingling ball to Nero. "Man, this is great," he said with a laugh. "I've never had a pet before; I never realized it could be so much fun."

Dropping the ball on the floor, Nero giggled in reply and hopped into Judas' lap. He often thought of his former owner, though needless to say he was having fun with this fellow. 

Judas sighed and petted Nero lightly. "This is so cool," he mumbled. "This could be the best thing that's ever happened to me." He looked down at Nero and said, "You're such a good boy, Nero."

At that moment, Danger Mouse strode into the parlor and stared his recruit. "Judas, we need to talk," he demanded. "Its time we do something about the Nero situation- that caterpillar has to go!"

Shocked, Judas stood and held Nero close. "No way!" he snapped.

DM groaned in frustration. "I was afraid this might happen," he murmured. "Judas, you have to let go of Nero! He's not even your pet!!"

"Aw, come on!" Judas whined. "It's clear by now that the Baron doesn't want him back anyway! Come on, let's keep him!!"

Now, the agent was angered. "Absolutely not!" he refused. "Judas, I don't care if you want Nero to go or not- he's going back, and that's **final!**"

Before either one could say another word, the alarm went off. No doubt, it was another mission- this argument would have to wait for now.

The video-screen flickered on, and a familiar face appeared onscreen. "Danger Mouse, this is Sabrina Panthera- one of Greenback's top henchmen," she introduced herself. "Meet me at Trafalger's Square at noon today, and bring Nero with you. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to come after you myself. Goodbye, mouse."

As the screen flickered off, the agent and his recruit looked at the clock- 10:00 AM. They had two hours.

Danger Mouse turned to Judas. "Well, your plan seems to be working," he pointed out. "I suggest you take an hour or so to say farewell to little Nero; I doubt the two of you will ever feel this way about each other again." With that, he turned and headed for Penfold's room to tell him of the news.

With a heavy sigh, Judas sat back down on the couch and gazed at Nero. "Well, buddy, this is it," he muttered. "I guess you have to go back now."

Nero squealed in response. Somehow, as much as he felt bad about leaving this nice boy, he knew that he had to go back. Besides, he was beginning to miss the whole world domination thing anyway.

Smiling, Judas picked up the jingling ball and gave it to the caterpillar. "Here, boy," he whispered. "A gift for you to remember me by." He was then reminded of a few more events, adding, "Oh, and I'm sorry for almost killing you with the baseball bat… _and_ I forgive you for biting me in the tail end when we first met."

Delighted, Nero squeaked happily. Perhaps going home wouldn't be so bad after all…

Noon eventually rolled around. Danger Mouse, Penfold, and Judas made their way to Trafalger's Square; the pooch carried Nero in his arms, holding the little guy close.

The trio stopped at the foot of the monument to Sir Nelson. "She should be here any minute," DM murmured, glancing at Judas. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Judas scoffed. "Of course I'm not ready," he remarked, stroking Nero gently, "_but_… it's the right thing to do, right?"

The agent smiled. "Of course," he replied.

At that moment, two figures approached the heroes- Sabrina and Stiletto, two of Greenback's henchmen. The female feline glared at them, her eyes falling upon Nero. "So, you decided to hand over the little guy after all," she muttered, snatching the caterpillar from the recruit's arms. "Maybe you guys are smart… maybe you'll be smart enough to stay away from the Baron's next scheme."

"Hardly," the agent answered, "but we were all getting a bit tired of having that eyesore around. The less we see of that terror, the better."

Smirking, Sabrina turned away. "You have a nice day," she snapped. "It could be your last."

As the two henchmen walked away, Judas hung his head in dismay. "Let's go back to the pillar-box," he mumbled. "Suddenly, I'm not feeling so good." With that, the three heroes turned around and headed home…

When they had made it back to the hidden base at last, Stiletto and Sabrina walked through the halls towards the Baron's office. "I can't believe how easy that was," the dark-furred feline admitted.

Stiletto nodded. "Si, si," he agreed. "Barone should-a be very pleased."

Approaching the solid metal doors, Sabrina pressed the intercom button. "Sir, Stiletto and I have something for you," she chimed. "I think you're going to like what you see."

The doors opened, and Sabrina placed Nero on the ground. The caterpillar hurried over and jumped up on the desk, squealing with joy.

Surprised to hear such a noise, the Baron raised his head from the desk. "Nero!" he shouted, embracing the young caterpillar. "Nero, how daddy has missed you!"

While Greenback and Nero celebrated this reunion, Sabrina glanced at Stiletto. "Well, things are finally back to normal," she murmured. "How about you and I celebrate? I've got a few more Mel Brooks movies we can enjoy, and I think I've found another Monty Python video you might like."

The hench-crow nodded. "Si," he answered. "Grazi, Sabrina. I would like-a this very much."

"Great," the female feline replied. "It's a date, then."

A tad surprised, Stiletto blushed slightly. He knew that she wasn't being literal, but the thought of it still flustered him a little.

The Baron looked up from his pet. "I don't think so," he interrupted, holding out a set of plans. "Stiletto, I want you and Sabrina to start working on my latest scheme, quickly. Now go!"

Though disappointed, Stiletto nodded in agreement as he and Sabrina turned to leave. He knew it was inevitable- their fun would have ended eventually.

As the two coworkers strode down the hallway towards the workstation, Stiletto gave Sabrina a sidelong look. At least they would be working side-by-side; so long as he could be guaranteed that, nothing else really mattered to him.

For a moment, Sabrina stopped and turned towards another room. "I'll be back in a minute," she assured. "I just wanna get my portable stereo and a few CDs we can listen to- it'll make the work go by quicker."

Stiletto nodded, allowing Sabrina to gather her things. That was another thing he liked about having her around- she was innovative. So what if they couldn't watch another movie tonight? Sometimes a little music was all they really needed…

Later that evening, Judas laid back on the bed in his room. Life just wasn't as much fun without Nero around; even if they were _technically_ enemies now, he still missed the little guy.

At that moment, Penfold poked his head inside the door. He walked inside and sat on the bed beside Judas. "Um, hello," he said. "DM and I were wondering if you had anything in mind for dinner?"

"I dunno," Judas murmured. "Food, I guess."

Concerned, Penfold rushed out of the room and into the parlor. He found Danger Mouse sitting on the couch, reading up on the latest in news. "Chief," he addressed, "Judas doesn't look at all well. Should we call the professor?"

The agent looked up from his paper and sighed heavily. "I'm afraid it's not his health, Penfold," he said, glancing down the hallway. "It's probably because of Nero."

Penfold sat on the couch beside DM. "Ooh, crumbs," he muttered. "What are we going to do?"

Suddenly, Danger Mouse was struck with an idea. "Penfold, get Judas quickly," he demanded. "There's something I think we ought to show him…"

The trio of heroes walked through the dark hallway. Danger Mouse had a special corridor set aside for an interesting collection, and he thought it might do Judas some good.

His head hanging low, Judas sighed in dismay. "Come on, guys," he groaned. "I'm really not in the mood. Let's just go back upstairs, okay?"

Danger Mouse turned to the recruit. "Judas, shush," he advised. "We'll go back upstairs in a minute, but first I'd like to show you something."

Finally, the agent and his confidants reached the entrance to the corridor. DM opened the door and showed Judas inside. "I've received many rewards for my efforts," he informed as they strode inside. "I prefer medals and most other material rewards, but I have this corridor for more… _lively_ gifts, so to speak."

Judas looked up from his brooding and gasped- they were in what appeared to be a zoo! All sorts of wild animals abounded there; though caged off, they had wide open spaces and plenty of food. Some were domesticated, but most of them were wild creatures.

The agent took out a key and handed it to the pooch. "Here you are, Judas," he said. "It's a gift- the spare key to my menagerie. You can come here and visit the animals any time you like."

Surprised, Judas stared at Danger Mouse. "You sure?" he queried.

"Absolutely," DM agreed. "Besides, did you honestly think I was going to let you sit around and brood like that?"

A smirk crossed Judas' face. "Actually, yeah," he responded jokingly, laughing a little. "Thanks, man- this means a lot to me."

As Judas strode off to take a look at the animals, Penfold looked up at the agent and smiled. "That was a nice thing you did for Judas," he complemented.

Danger Mouse nodded. "Of course," he answered. "At least now he has a number of exotic 'pets' instead of Nero. As Judas would put it, it seems to be a _fair_ trade, after all…"

****

The End!! ^_^

****

PS- In case you were wondering what movie Judas was describing in the very beginning of the story (with the man-eating plant and a guy named Seymour), it was _Little Shop of Horrors_. It's rated PG-13 for suggested violence and some language, but hey- it stars Rick Moranis as "Seymour"! ^-^ The guy also plays "Dark Helmet" in the Mel Brooks movie _Spaceballs_, but you might remember him as "Mr. Zalenski" from the _Honey, I Shrunk The Kids_ movies. Just thought you might wanna know… ~_^


End file.
